Adult Christian Education Ministry Fair
Sunday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m., Anderson Room
See the new adult Christian education space and learn about the many ministries for adults offered this fall.

Sign up for men’s pickleball
Mondays, 7 p.m., starting Sept. 8, Activity Center
Let’s get together for some fellowship, laughs and a little bit of exercise. We’ll set up two courts in the gym and rotate through positions. No experience necessary. Bring your own pickleball racquet and ball. Sign up here. Contact Mark Mathis through the Church Office for more information.

RSVP for men's breakfast
Saturday, Sept. 13, 7:30 a.m., Egg'lectic Cafe, 145 N. Hale Street, Wheaton

All Gary Church men are invited to join. RSVP to Steve Novy through the Church Office.

Sundays, Oct. 12 - Nov. 2, 10:10 a.m., Anderson Room, led by Dr. Gene Green and Dr. Michael Graves

Christian Nationalism has been defined as “a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy.” This study will explore the contours of Christian Nationalism in the light of Scripture, theology, Christian history and current events.

Save the date:  Wednesday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Christian Nationalism Today: Dangerous Ideas, Dangerous Leaders, and Dangerous Agendas, with Christian scholar and best-selling author, Matthew D. Taylor. Taylor is a leading expert on Christian Nationalism and author of The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threating Our Democracy (Broadleaf Books, 2024).

Disciple Fast Track: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study

Tuesdays, 7 p.m. starting Sept. 23, Heritage Room, led by Rev. Dr. Jamie Hanna Williams

Studying the Bible is essential to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is also fun and enlightening when you do it in a group! Disciple Fast Track, an adaptation of the original, bestselling Disciple Bible Study, provides a great way for busy people to get to know much of the Bible and grow together with others in meaningful conversation and community. The group will meet for a total of 24 weeks, broken down into two 12-week, 90-minute sessions. Each Disciple Fast Track session will be based on weekly reading, engaging videos and thoughtful discussion. We will end before Holy Week with a fellowship meal and Holy Communion. We invite you to join us! Register here.

Devotional Study Group, Half Truths
Tuesdays, 10 a.m., starting Sept. 9, Commons A, led by Allen Reed
Join Adam Hamilton in this Bible study to search for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés with the wisdom found in Scripture. The clichés include: Everything happens for a reason. God helps those who help themselves. God won’t give you more than you can handle. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Contact Allen Reed through the Church Office for more information.

Men’s Bible Study 
Tuesdays, 6:30–8 p.m., Anderson Room, September through May

The Men's Bible Study is open to all men seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible and Christian Faith. Please contact Steve Novy through the Church Office for more information. Check out their studies:

Men's Bible Study: Parables: Putting Jesus's Stories in Their Place
Tuesdays, Sept. 9–Oct. 14, Anderson Room, led by Steve Novy
This book, by Josh Scott, explores six parables that give us a window into Jesus’s message and movement, and, once they are heard in their own context, ask what they might mean for us today. 

Men's Bible Study: The Bible with and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently
Tuesdays, Oct. 21–Nov. 25, Anderson Room, led by Steve Novy
Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. 

Women's Bible Study
Wednesdays,  2 p.m., Anderson Room, September through May

The Women's Bible Study is open to all women seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible and Christian faith.  Contact Holly Trueblood through the Church Office for more information. Check out the next study:

Women's Bible Study
Understanding the Old Testament
Wednesdays, 2 p.m., Anderson Room, starting Sept. 10, led by Holly Trueblood
Take a fresh and eye-opening look at one of Western civilization's most fundamental texts, and learn to decipher and interpret the meanings of this world-shaping collection of books of the Bible in the Old Testament. Featuring scholarly lectures and insights, this Great Courses series is sure to help even the most studied Bible student understand the Old Testament better. 

Anti-Racist Book Club 

fourth Wednesday of the month, September through May

Each month, we explore a book or film. Read the book on your own and join the conversation. Register here.

Anti-Racist Book Club: Don't Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It 
by Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan
Wednesdays, Sept. 24 & Oct. 22, 7 p.m., Commons, led by Elaine McCluskey  
Multiple times a day, in cities across the U.S. and beyond, a simple yet powerful message is repeated by the well-meaning, the ignorant and the bigoted: 'don't go' – avoid at all costs those Black and Brown disinvested neighborhoods that have become bywords for social disorder and urban decay. This book is a collection of stories and photos that uncover the hidden influence of both subtle and overt 'don't go' messages and the segregation they perpetuate in Chicago. By inviting readers into the lives of regular people who have ignored the warning to stay away from 'don't go' neighborhoods or who live in those very same neighborhoods, the stories in Don't Go illuminate the consequences of racial segregation and disinvestment as well as the rewards of coming together. Read the book on your own and join the conversation. Register here.

Grief Matters Support Group

We welcome anyone grieving the death or loss of someone to be a part of this group. It is a place where you can be with people who understand how you feel and the pain of your loss. You’ll gain valuable tools to help you as you continue on the journey of grief. Contact the Church Office for more information.

United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women)
United Women in Faith Circles are small groups that develop supportive fellowship and expand concepts of mission. All women are invited to participate. Contact the Church Office and we’ll put you in touch with the circle leader for more information on meeting dates and times.
Joy Circle 
Knitting/Stitching Circle 
Mary Martha 
Susanna Wesley

Walkers & Talkers Fellowship
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., Commons
Stop in and chat with this welcoming fellowship group. 

Game night

Fourth Friday of the month, 6:30–9 p.m., Commons
Join your Gary Church friends for games of bridge, dominoes or anything you like. Contact Fern Evelhoch through the Church Office for more information and to let us know you're coming.

Create cards
Thursdays, 1 p.m., Heritage Room
Anyone is welcome to drop in whenever you can to create cards. The cards go to people celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries. They go to people grieving or sick. And, the cards go to people to simply let them know their friends at Gary Church are thinking about them.

Help make Gary gardens gorgeous
Anyone can join the Gary Gardeners team, and in the spring, summer and fall, there’s always something to do. If you can help with weeding, watering, maintaining/updating planters, general landscaping or various short-term projects, please let Barbara Wernicke know through the Church Office.

Monday morning golfers
These golfers love to play together so much, they even meet in Florida in March! Here in Illinois, they try to play most Monday mornings in the spring, summer and fall at a different golf course each week. If you’d like to be a regular golfer or a substitute, contact the Church Office to get on the email list.

Class Meeting
each group decides best day/time
Looking for friendship? Belonging? A closer relationship with Jesus? You could find all that and more at the Class Meeting. Class Meeting is a small group that laughs, prays and encourages each other in Christ. We began our first Class Meeting the year before the pandemic, helping people grow in faith and develop deep friendships with others. For more information, contact Carey Williams Bebar.